


I Didn't Know If It Was Day or Night

by missjedi81



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, But not necessarily unwelcome, F/M, Love Potion/Spell, Non-Consensual Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:21:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27285580
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missjedi81/pseuds/missjedi81
Summary: Ben Solo is terrible with women. He completely clams up when it comes to talking to someone he's attracted to. Especially Rey. So he goes to Madame Kanata for a little something to help boost his courage. Will it work?
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 6
Kudos: 66
Collections: RFR Songfic Challenge





	I Didn't Know If It Was Day or Night

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my first time participating in a song fic challenge. The song is "Love Potion Number 9" by the Clovers. I changed a few "facts" from the song, like changing the year from 1956 to 2006, because this is a modern AU and that made more sense. Also, it's Maz instead of Madame Rue. And it's probably a little silly, but that's ok.

**Love Potion Number 9 (the Clovers)**

_**I took my troubles down to Madame Rue** _

_**You know that gypsy with the gold-capped tooth** _

_**She's got a pad on Thirty-Fourth and Vine** _

_**Sellin' little bottles of Love Potion Number Nine** _

Ben Solo sat sulking on his mother's couch. How had he gotten sucked into this again? Oh yeah, he was a now 30 year old loser with no girlfriend, co-workers who hated him and roommates he was certain only allowed him to hang out with them out of pity.

It was his apartment after all. Of course they let him hang out with them.

Ok, he wasn't a complete loser. He had a trust fund and a well-paying job. He worked out and he was fairly certain his physique was nothing to be ashamed of.

But if Bazine from 10th grade was to be believed, his ears and nose were. She was the head cheerleader, after all and he, scrawny, awkard Ben Solo had been foolish enough to ask her to the junior prom.

The fallout from that most humiliating incident in his life was that he'd never been able to talk to girls properly after that. If he found a girl or woman who was attractive at all, his anxiety would spike and he would clam up and likely run away.

And now he was 30.

Appearantly his mom thought it would be cute to throw her son a party for his 30th birthday. And it couldn't just be dinner with his mom and dad and maybe an uncle or two. No, she had to invite his roommates, Finn and Poe, their girlfriends, Rose and Zorii and a few of his co-workers, most of whom he didn't get along with. And then there was Rey.

Rey was Rose's roommate and almost 10 years younger than him. But she was beautiful. And sweet. She liked a lot of the same things as him and she was pretty much the woman of his dream. If only he could bring himself to talk to her. He sighed.

“I know what that sound means.” Ben looked up to see an older woman who was short in stature with a gold-capped tooth, large hoop earrings and glasses that seemed too large for her. He recognized her as his dad's weird friend, Maz Kanata. She was a fortune teller with a shop on 34th and Vine, though he'd never stepped foot in there. He struggled not to roll his eyes just being spoken to by this woman.

“It means I'm annoyed,” he supplied, hoping his curt reply would be enough to put her off. The last thing he needed was to be seen talking to such a person by any of his peers.

“My dear,” Maz said, touching his arm sympathetically. “If you live long enough, you see the same eyes in different people. Yours tell me your heart is crying out for its other half. Someone who like you is surrounded by people but still finds themselves incomplete, desperate for someone to tell them they are not alone.”

“You mean like soulmates?” Ben said with a scoff. “I don't believe in that stuff.” He tried to look derisive, but the truth was her description his a little too close to home and it unsettled him.

“If you live long enough, you learn to believe in a great many things,” Maz replied. “Tell you what. Come to my shop tomorrow. I may have something that can help you. Call it a birthday present.”

_**I told her that I was a flop with chicks** _

_**I've been this way since ninteen-fifty-six** _

_**She looked at my palm and she made a magic sign** _

_**She said "what you need is Love Potion Number Nine"** _

_**She bent down and turned around and gave me a wink** _

_**She said "I'm gonna mix it up right here in the sink"** _

_**It smelled like turpentine, it looked like India ink** _

_**I held my nose, I closed my eyes, I took a drink** _

Ben stood in front of Madame Kanata's shop just staring at the door. This was ridiculous. What was he doing here? This was stupid.

He took a deep breath and went in anyway.

The bell over the door jingled, alerting anyone in the store to his presence.

“I knew you would be here,” Maz said, coming from a back room through a beaded curtain in the doorway. “So, tell me what troubles a handsome, strapping young man like yourself?”

“I thought you already had all the answers,” Ben responded with a huff.

“Hmm, perhaps,” Maz responded. “But I would like to know what _you_ think you need. What trouble ails you most? You seek fortune? Power? A long life?”

“I guess my biggest problem is talking to women,” he said finally. “I literally cannot hold a decent conversation with an attractive woman.”

“How long?” Maz asked, grabbing his hand and examining his palm.

“I don't know, since 2006?” he quipped with a nervous chuckle. “I've never been able to, that I can remember.”

“Mmhmm,” Maz said, releasing his palm. “Well, I think I have just the thing for you. She walked back through the beaded curtain. Ben walked over to peek through the curtain and saw what appeared to be a largish room with a small kitchenette in the back where Maz was clinking various bottles and dishes over a sink. About 10 minutes later, Maz came back out holding up a bottle.

“What's this?” Ben asked.

“It's a potion,” Maz said. “It will help untie your tongue when you encounter someone you're attracted to. It will give you courage to speak your feelings. For best results, wait until you are in the vicinity of the person you need to speak to. Now, listen carefully—” She was interupted by the bell over the door, where both Ben and Maz looked. Ben nearly swallowed his tongue when he saw it was Rey, with her bright, sunny smile.

“Hey Maz!” she said. “I just got off lunch with Chewie and he wanted me to bring you this!” She indicated the brown bag she was holding, then turned to Ben. “Hi Ben! What brings you here?” And, like always, he couldn't get any words out.

“Ah, Ben here was just paying me a little visit,” Maz said, holding her hand out for the bag. Rey turned her attention to Maz and Ben let out a breath. He looked at the bottle in his hand. Unscrewed the lid. It smalled awful. But he was desperate. He took a small sip. It tasted as bad as it smelled.

“No no!” exclaimed Maz, who had just glanced back at him. “Not like that!” But it was too late.

_**I didn't know it was day or night** _

_**I started kissin' everything in sight** _

_**But when I kissed a cop at Thirty-Fourth and Vine** _

_**He broke my little bottle of Love Potion Number Nine** _

Ben blinked rapidly.

“Ben?” Rey said, placing her hand on his arm. “Are you ok?”

“Rey,” Ben breathed out. “I love you. I think you're the most perfect, wonderful, beautiful woman I have ever seen. I wanna marry you, have a house in the suburbs—maybe have a couple of kids...” Rey's eyes grew wider by the second as he babbled on and Maz ran her hand over her eyes. Then suddenly Ben placed his hands on Rey's cheeks, leant down and kissed her.

“Ben—” She was cut off by his lips crashing into hers. And then his lips were devouring hers. And once her initial shock and protests wore off, she wound her arms around his neck and began kissing him back. It was the most mind-blowing kiss she had ever had.

“No no!” Maz exclaimed, trying to pry them apart. Rey had the sense to let go of Ben, despite Ben's protests. “Benjamin. I think you need to go home and sleep this off and _call_ me before you drink anymore. Do you understand?”

Ben nodded with a glazed over look in his eye. He walked toward the front door and stop to admire a standing lamp.

“Ooh, this is pretty!” he said, right before placing a light kiss on it.

“Maz?” Rey said uncertainly as Ben left the shop. “What did you give him?” Maz sighed.

“Love potion number 9,” she replied.

*******************************************************************************************************************************

Ben's eyes blink open from his stupor. He's laying on his back on a surface that is likely supposed to pass for a mattress but is certainly not his.

Aw crap. He was in a jail cell.

Whatever was in that concoction Maz had given him had worn off by this point and now he was just feeling depressed. And incredibly stupid.

He remembered being brought in for public intoxication to “sleep it off.”

Unfortunately, unlike if he actually _had_ been drunk, he remembered every humiliating detail.

After the awfulness of mauling Rey like in that Maz' shop—would she ever forgive him? Then after he left the shop it continued to get worse.

It was like he knew exactly what he was doing at all times, but couldn't keep himself from doing it.

Hugging a lamp post, Kissing a statue. Even trying to kiss the hand of the cop who came over to see what was going on.

That last bit was what landed him in here, of course.

Had Rey seen him get arrested? As if this day could get any worse.

_**I didn't know it was day or night** _

_**I started kissin' everything in sight** _

_**I had so much fun that I'm going back again** _

_**I wonder what happens with love potion number ten?** _

_**Love Potion Number Nine** _

Ben finally got released with a warning and went back to his apartment, which was blessedly empty. The guys must be over at Rose and Rey's tonight.

Rey was probably regaling them all with a very “entertaining” story of shameful conduct.

But no. He didn't _really_ think Rey would do that. She was sweetness itself. Had it been Poe, on the other hand...Well, thank heaven for small mercies.

A knock on the door interrupted his solo Netflix session. He sighed and dragged himself to the door and opened it.

“Rey?” he said an octave higher than usual. She looked perfectly edible in her blue sundress and converse sneakers with her brunette locks falling in soft waves across her shoulders. But to top it off, she was chewing on her bottom lip nervously and boy, did that sight stoke something inside of him.

“Hi Ben,” she said. “Can I come in?” He stepped back from the door and gestured for her to enter. “I was hoping you'd be home by now. Do you still have, um, your potion Maz gave you?”

If her very presence wasn't enough to turn him red, her bringing up that unfortunate memory certainly was.

Oh, she was expecting an answer.

“Um, no,” he admitted, scratching the back of his neck. “It, uh, got broken.” When he got arrested. And it made him reek until he was able to shower when he got home. He decided to trash the clothes. There was no saving them.

“Oh, well, I brought you another bottle, in case you need it.” She held out the small bottle she'd just pulled out of her purse.

Ben simply looked at the bottle in horror and took an involuntary step back.

“So Maz told me what this does,” she continued, walking over to place the bottle on his kitchen counter. “She also said you need to learn to follow instructions before using things. Especially things that go in your mouth.” She gave him a pointed look.

Did she just—? Perfect. Now his ears were on fire. He still couldn't bring himself to speak, so he just stood gaping at her. She must think he was an idiot.

Seeing that he wasn't going to respond, Rey continued to explain. “So you're only supposed to take a few drops, first of all. See?” She had unscrewed the bottle. “There's a dropper in the lid.” Sure enough, there was. How had he missed that? “And it's easier if you take it in a drink. _Not_ alcohol, though.” She started rummaging through his fridge and found some orange juice and poured some in a tumbler.

He watched with fascination as she added 3 drops of the potion to the juice.

Ben looked at the glass skeptically, then back at Rey.

“Okay...” Ben managed to get out. “That's not for me, is it? You saw what it does is Maz' shop.” This time it was Rey whose cheeks began to flush with embarassment. She huffed in frustration.

“Here's the thing,” she said. “Maz told me what the potion is _supposed_ to do when you take it properly. What she couldn't tell me was what happens if you drink too much, as you clearly did. Even if you took the smallest sip you could, you most certainly overdosed. And those things you said to me...I really want to know if any of it was true, or if it was just the potion talking.”

“But—why?” Ben asked, with a small sliver of hope creeping into his chest. She couldn't possibly be asking this just so she could make fun of him, could she? She stepped closer to him and gently gripped his biceps. She was close enough now that she had to tilt her face up to look at him.

“Because, Ben,” she whispered “I want them to be true.” She—what? Ben's heart was racing now and swallowed.

“You do?” he asked in a husky voice.

“Well, _some_ of it was a bit much,” she said with a slight smile. “I don't think I'm quite ready for marriage and kids yet. But, that doesn't mean I won't get there one day. But first, I really _really_ need to know your real feelings. And while I'd prefer you to be able to tell me without any additional help, if you really can't speak your feelings without it, it's there if you need it.”

“I think,” Ben slowly, “The potion simply amplified my feelngs. I did mean them, but they aren't things I would ever have said out loud. Many of them were wildly inappropriate at this point and I've never managed to have the courage to even ask you out. And the kissing was definitely inappropriate, and I can't tell you how sorry I am.” Rey frowned, then Ben decided to clarify. “Not that I didn't want to, or that I didn't enjoy it, but I shouldn't have done it like that, with no warning or anything.”

Wow, he was really being a lot braver now, talking to Rey. It helped that it seemed like his feelings weren't one sided.

“Can I tell you a secret?” Rey asked, slding her hands up Ben's arms and behind his neck. “That was actually my favorite part.” She pressed lightly on the back of his neck, nudging his head toward her. Taking the hint he leaned down and captured her lips with his, wrapping his arms around her waist.

This kiss was similar to the one in Maz' shop, but oh so much better. It started soft and sweet and gradually built in intensity. Rey ran her fingers through Ben's hair and Ben let out a soft moan. Rey broke away long enough to pull out another bottle from her purse and held it up for Ben to see.

“What's that?” Ben asked. It looked just like the other bottle, except this one was labelled #10.

“Just a little something I got from Maz,” she replied. “ _This_ potion is for couples that are already together and want to take it to the next level.”

“Oh yeah?” Ben asked, very curious now. “And what exactly does it do?” Rey grabbed his hand and started leading him down the hall.

“Well,” she said with a wink. “Come with me and I'll show you.”


End file.
